Who saw the risen Jesus first? Mary Magdalene? Peter? Cleopas? Who? Who saw the risen Jesus first? Mary Magdalene? Peter? Cleopas? Who? Question: Who saw Jesus first? (MATT28:9)Jesus makes his first appearance to the Mary's (MARK16:9) Jesus makes his first appearance to Mary Magdalene only (LUKE24:15-18) Jesus makes his first appearance to Cleopas and another (JOHN20:14) Jesus makes his first appearance to Mary Magdalene only (1COR15:5) Jesus makes his first appearance to Cephas (PETER). Response: Who saw Jesus first? I would say that Mary Magdalene was the first person to see the risen Jesus. I base this on Mark 16:9 because there it specifically says that Mary Magdalene was specifically the first person to see the risen Jesus. John 20:14 is consistent with this opinion. And, Luke 24:15-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:5 don't specifically address the issue of who was the first to see the risen Jesus.

I also speculate that the other Mary was the second person to see the risen Jesus, based on what I believe is a "compressed" or "telescoped" account given in Matthew 28:9. So let's take a look at each of the verses and see how they compare in regards to who first saw the risen Jesus: In Mark 16:9, it says that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. Mark doesn't mention the other Mary or anyone else. But Mark never claimed specifically that Mary Magdalene was alone. All that we can know for certain is that Mark 16:9 is claiming that Mary Magdalene was first. Nothing more, nothing less. In Matthew 28:9 it says that Jesus suddenly met "them" sometime after they had learned that Jesus was not in the tomb. I assume that the "them" includes Mary Magdalene and the other Mary because they are specifically named in Matthew 28:1. Matthew makes no distinction as to whether Mary Magdalene saw the risen Jesus first or if she and the other Mary saw Jesus at the same instant.

So, it is possible that Mary Magdalene actually saw Jesus first and that the other Mary saw him soon after that. That would be consistent with Mark 16:9. However, perhaps Mark 16:9 only chose to focus solely on Mary Magdalene and that the other Mary was also present. Any claim that there is a contradiction between Matthew 28:9 and Mark 16:9 would be based on speculation. Luke 24:15-18 explains that the "women" went to the tomb and saw that Jesus was not there. Luke does not specifically identify the women. But, he does say that Mary Magdalene; and Mary, the mother of James; and a woman named Joanna; went to the others to tell them that Jesus had risen. Was Joanna present at the empty tomb? Or did Joanna meet Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as they went from the tomb to tell the others that Jesus had risen? We don't know for certain. Luke doesn't say that any of the women had seen Jesus on their way back from the tomb.

However, Luke explains that two of Jesus' followers were on the road to Emmaus, including a person named Cleopas, and that they saw Jesus. But Luke does not say that they were the first to see the risen Jesus. If indeed there is any contradiction, it is based on speculation, not on facts. John 20:14 says Mary Magdalene met the risen Jesus. But, like Mark 16:9, there is no mention of the other Mary, or anyone else, being present at that point in time. As for the account given in 1 Corinthians 15:4, there again is no mention of who specifically was the first to see Jesus. And it is obvious that it is in no way an attempt to be a comprehensive list of everyone who saw the risen Jesus. What it does say is this: 1. Jesus was buried, 3. Jesus appeared to Peter, 4. And then Jesus appeared to the other Apostles. All we can know for certain in regards to 1 Corinthians 15:4 is that Peter saw the risen Jesus after Jesus had risen and before the other Apostles had seen him. Nothing more, nothing less.

As you can see from the various Bible verses, some are specific in certain details and others are not. But there is no provable contradiction in regards to which person first saw the risen Jesus. If my opinion is correct that Mary Magdalene was the first person to see the risen Jesus, then that would provide a possible reason as to why Mark and John chose to focus solely on Mary Magdalene. Enduring Word Bible Commentary Matthew Chapter 28 Matthew 28 – A Risen Lord Jesus and His Commission A. The risen Jesus. 1. (1-3) Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany find an angel at the tomb. Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. a.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb: They came to finish the preparation of Jesus’ body, which was cut short by the Sabbath (Luke 24:1-3). So after the Sabbath on Sunday (the first day of the week), they came to the tomb – fully expecting to find the dead body of Jesus. b. There was a great earthquake: Matthew alone notes this earthquake. The earthquake did not cause the stone to be rolled away; if anything, the angelic rolling of the stone prompted the earthquake. i. “The earth shook both at Christ’s passion and at his resurrection; then, to show that it could not bear his suffering; now, to show that it could not hinder his rising.” (Trapp) ii. Some think this was not a normal earthquake, but refers to the disturbance of the guards at the tomb (Matthew 28:4). “Seismov, a shaking or commotion of any kind: probably the word means no more than the confusion caused among the guards by the angel’s appearance. All this had taken place before the women reached the sepulcher.” (Clarke) c.

An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it: When the women came to the tomb, they saw the stone rolled away and an angel sitting on the stone. The door to the tomb was wide open. i. “Indeed there needed not any angel at all to remove the stone, if this had been all he had come down for; He that was quickened by the Spirit, could by the same power have rolled away the stone; but as it was fit that the angels, who had been witnesses of his passion, should also be witnesses of his resurrection.” (Poole) ii. The stone that enclosed the body of Jesus in the tomb had been like the gate of a prison cell, trapping the body of Jesus in the grave. Now it became a place of rest, as the angel sat on it. 2. (4-6) The angel’s message. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.

Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” a. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men: The Roman soldiers responsible for guarding the tomb were terrified. The angelic presence made these professional soldiers tremble and faint. i. “He does not appear to have drawn a flaming sword, nor even to have spoken to the keepers; but the presence of perfect purity overawed these rough legionaries.” (Spurgeon) ii. “The resurrection of Christ is a subject of terror to the servants of sin, and a subject of consolation to the sons of God; because it is a proof of the resurrection of both, the one to shame and everlasting contempt-the other to eternal glory and joy.” (Clarke) b. He is not here, for He is risen: For the first time, the followers of Jesus – these faithful women – heard what they did not expect to hear. They heard that Jesus was not in the tomb, but risen to resurrection life. i.

There are several examples in the Bible of people being resuscitated before this, such as the widow’s son in the days of Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24) and Lazarus (John 11:38-44). Each of these was resuscitated from death, but none of them were resurrected. Each of them was raised in the same body they died in, and raised from the dead to eventually die again. Resurrection isn’t just living again; it is living again in a new body, based on our old body, perfectly suited for life in eternity. Jesus was not the first one brought back from the dead, but He was the first one resurrected. ii. We should also say that Jesus stillis risen. He ascended into heaven and continues to reign as resurrected man, still fully man and fully God. iii. In Israel, one may see many graves and tombs – there is an ocean of tombs on the Mount of Olives, and vast sea of graves outside the eastern wall of the temple mount. You can see the tomb of Rebekka, the tomb of David, the tomb of Absalom – but you won’t find the tomb of Jesus anywhere.

He is not here. iv. As He said reminded these women – and all the disciples – that they should have expected this. It was just what He promised. c. Come, see the place where the Lord lay: The stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out. John 20:19 tells us that Jesus, in His resurrection body, could pass through material barriers. It was rolled away so that others could see in and be persuaded that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. i. “The invitation to see the place where he lay is appropriately addressed to the same people who had watched the body being deposited – so there is no possibility of a mistake.” (France) ii. “Come and see the niche in which he was laid-it is now empty; nor was there any other body in the place, for the tomb was a new one, in which no man had ever been laid, John 19:41; so there could be no deception in the case.” (Clarke) iii. The fact of the resurrection is clear enough. We must also grapple with the meaning of the resurrection. Simply, Jesus’ resurrection proved that His death was an actual propitiation for sin and that the Father had accepted it as such.

The cross was the payment, the resurrection the receipt, proving that the payment was fully accepted. iv. Those women were later grateful that the angel told them to see the place where they laid Him. It would have – it should have – been enough to merely hear the testimony of the angel. Nevertheless, when they saw it, it gave them ground to stand on even more solid than the testimony of an angel. “One eye-witness is better than twenty ear-witnesses; men will believe what you have seen if they do not believe what you have heard.” (Spurgeon) · When we see the place where they laid Him, we see that the Father did not forsake Jesus · When we see the place where they laid Him, we see that death is conquered · When we see the place where they laid Him, we see that we have a living friend in Jesus 3. (7-8) The angel’s instructions to Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany. “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.

Behold, I have told you.” So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. a. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead: The angel commanded them to be the first messengers of the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Since these women were some of the few people courageous enough to publicly identify themselves with Jesus, it was an appropriate honor. i. “Not first to them who were the heads of the Church, as it were, but first of all to lowly women, did the Lord appear; and the apostles themselves had to go to school to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to learn that great truth, ‘The Lord is risen indeed.'” (Spurgeon) b. He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him: This assured the women they would see the resurrected Jesus. He wasn’t simply raised from the dead; He was raised to continue His relationship with them. i. Conceivably, the angel might have said: “He is risen, and has ascended to heaven!” That would have been better than knowing He was dead; but the truth was far better.

He was risen, and risen to have and continue a real relationship with His disciples. c. Ran to bring His disciples word: The women – filled with fear and great joy – did exactly what the angel told them to do. He told them to go quickly and they did. i. “Saints running in the way of obedience are likely to be met by Jesus. Some Christians travel to heaven so slowly that they are overtaken by follies or by faults, by slumber or by Satan; but he who is Christ’s running footman shall meet his Master while he is speeding on his way.” (Spurgeon) 4. (9-10) Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany meet a risen Jesus. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” a. As they went to tell His disciples: The women met Jesus as they obeyed the command to tell the news of the resurrection. b.

Jesus met them, saying “Rejoice!” What else could Jesus say to these women? What else could they do other than rejoice? i. The old King James Version translates “Rejoice!” with All hail! France observes, ” ‘Hail!‘ represents the normal Greek greeting, an almost homely ‘Hello!’ in contrast with the fearsome appearance of the angel.” c. So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him: When the women met Jesus, they felt compelled to worship Him. An hour before, they thought everything was lost because they thought Jesus was dead. Now they knew everything was gained because Jesus was alive. i. Notably, Jesus received the worship of these ladies. If Jesus were not God, it would have been terribly sinful for Him to receive this worship. But being God, it was good and appropriate for Him to receive it. d. Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me: Jesus told the women to do the same thing that the angel told them to do. i.

My brethren: “This is the first time our Lord called his disciples by this endearing name: they no doubt thought that their Lord would reproach them with their past cowardice and infidelity; but, in speaking thus, he gives them a full assurance, in the most tender terms, that all that was passed was buried for ever.” (Clarke) 5. (11-15) The cover-up of the resurrection begins with the bribery of the guards. Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. a. Tell them, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept”: This cover-up attempt shows the darkness of these priests.

They knew the truth of the resurrection, yet they rejected that truth. i. A large sum of money: “The Greek is literally ‘sufficient money’ – it would need to be large!” (France) b. While we slept: The cover-up also shows their foolishness. If it was true that the guards were asleep, they could not know that it was His disciples that stole the body of Jesus. i. To believe this, we have to believe: · All the soldiers were asleep – all of them! · All the soldiers violated the strict law of the Roman military against sleeping on watch, punishable by death. · All the soldiers slept so deeply that none of them were awakened by the work and exertion and noise necessary to roll away the stone and carry out the body. · All the soldiers were so soundly asleep – yet they knew who it was who did this. ii. Clarke rightly comments, “Here is a whole heap of absurdities.” c. This saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day: Through the years, there have been many objections suggested to the resurrection of Jesus. Some say He didn’t die at all, but just swooned or fainted on the cross and spontaneously revived in the tomb.

Others say He really died, but His body was stolen. Still others suggest He really died, but His desperate followers hallucinated His resurrection. A plain, simple understanding of these evidences of the resurrection of Jesus answers all of these theories, and shows they take far more faith to believe than the Biblical account does. i. “I suppose, brethren, that we may have persons arise, who will doubt whether there was ever such a man as Julius Caesar, or Napoleon Bonaparte; and when they do, – when all reliable history is flung to the winds, – then, but not till then, may they begin to question whether Jesus Christ rose from the dead, for this historical fact is attested by more witnesses than almost any other fact that stands on record in history, whether sacred or profane.” (Spurgeon) ii. We sometimes sing: “You ask me how I know He lives; He lives, He lives inside my heart.” But that is not the best way to prove Jesus lives. He lives because the historical evidence demands we believe in the resurrection of Jesus. If we can believe anything in history, we can believe the reliable, confirmed testimony of these eyewitnesses. Jesus rose from the dead. B. The great commission. 1.

(16-17) The disciples meet Jesus at Galilee. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. a. The eleven disciples went away into Galilee: Matthew doesn’t tell us about the Jerusalem appearances of Jesus to His disciples, as John does. Matthew was more interested in showing that the promise of Jesus in Matthew 26:32 was fulfilled. i. To the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them: “The meeting place would be some familiar haunt…only imperfectly recorded in the Gospels.” (Bruce) b. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him: This was not their first meeting with the risen Jesus; but it was an important one. At this meeting, they received their apostolic commission. c. They worshiped Him; but some doubted: The natural reaction to encountering the risen Jesus is worship, even if some had to overcome uncertainty and hesitation – probably from feeling it was too good to be true, and lingering shame from having forsaken Jesus during His suffering. i.

“When they recognized him, it was natural that they worshipped him, but the whole experience was so mysterious and overwhelming that some doubted…The verb distazo does not denote a settled unbelief, but a state of uncertainty and hesitation.” (France) ii. “Dunn sees Matthew’s mention of this doubt as ‘a genuine historical echo’ – those who were there would never have forgotten the conflicting emotions and beliefs in that unique experience.” (France) iii. The fact that some of the disciples doubted argues against the theory that their seeing Jesus was simply a hallucination born of a desperate desire to see Him. 2. (18-20) Jesus instructs His disciples regarding their duty after His departure. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. a.

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth: This commission that follows is given in light of the authority of Jesus. This indicates that this is an authoritative command, not a suggestion. It is the same idea as if an officer reminded a private of his rank before he gave the order. Because He has this authority, He can send whomever He wills to do whatever He pleases. i. ” ‘All’ dominates Matthew 28:18-20 and ties these verses together: all authority, all nations, all things, all the days.” (Carson) ii. “Power in the hands of some people is dangerous, but power in the hands of Christ is blessed. Oh, let him have all power! Let him do what he will with it, for he cannot will anything but that which is right, and just, and true, and good.” (Spurgeon) iii. “We believe in this power, and we rest in it.” (Spurgeon) · We do not seek any other power. · We defy every other power. · We know our powerlessness will not hinder the progress of His kingdom. · We give all our power unto Him. iv.

“If Jesus Christ were not equal with the Father, could he have claimed this equality of power, without being guilty of impiety and blasphemy? Surely not; and does he not, in the fullest manner, assert his Godhead, and his equality with the Father, by claiming and possessing all the authority in heaven and earth?” (Clarke) b. Go therefore: Because Jesus has this authority, we are therefore commanded to go. It is His authority that sends us, His authority that guides us, and His authority that empowers us. His work and message would continue to the world through His disciples. i. “These verses thus magnificently conclude the final section…but they also bring the whole Gospel to a dynamic conclusion, which is in fact more a beginning than an end.” (France) ii. Jesus said, “Go” to some very imperfect disciples. “Who is to go out of that first band of disciples? It is Peter, the rash and the headstrong. It is John, who sometimes wishes to call fire from heaven to destroy men. It is Philip, with whom the Savior has been so long, and yet he has not known him.

It is Thomas, who must put his finger into the print of the nails, or he will not believe him. Yet the Master says to them, ‘Go ye; all power is given unto me, therefore go ye. You are as good for my purpose as anybody else would be. There is no power in you, I know, but then all power is in me, therefore go ye.'” (Spurgeon) c. Make disciples of all the nations: The command is to make disciples, not merely converts or supporters of a cause. The idea behind the word disciples is of scholars, learners, or students. i. Make disciples reminds us that disciples are made. Disciples are not spontaneously created at conversion; they are the product of a process involving other believers. This making of disciples is the power of spreading Christianity. d. Of all the nations: In His previous ministry, Jesus deliberately restricted His work to the Jewish people (Matthew 15:24) and previously sent His disciples with the same restriction (Matthew 10:6). Only in rare exceptions did Jesus minister among the Gentiles (Matthew 15:21-28).

Now all of that is in the past, and the disciples are commissioned to take the gospel to all the nations. There is no place on earth where the gospel of Jesus should not be preached and where disciples should not be made. i. “The aim of Jesus’ disciples, therefore, is to make disciples of all men everywhere, without distinction.” (Carson) ii. “Christ commands them to go and baptize the nations: but how much time was past before such a journey was taken! And when the time was now come that this work should be begun, Peter doth not enter upon it without a previous admonition given him from heaven.” (Lightfoot, cited in Clarke) e. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Significantly, when Jesus told them to go to all the nations, He did not tell them to circumcise those who became disciples. Instead, they were to baptize them, suggesting the break with traditional Judaism. i. “In the name is literally ‘into the name’, implying entrance into an allegiance.” (France) ii.

The words and context certainly indicate that it is disciples who are baptized, those of age who can be taught and who can observe the things Jesus commanded. iii. Those who favor infant baptism answer, albeit unconvincingly: “But it doth not therefore follow, that children of such professors are not to be baptized, for the apostles were commanded to baptize all nations; children are a great part of any nation.” (Poole) iv. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: “The experience of God in these three Persons is the essential basis of discipleship. At the same time the singular noun name (not ‘names’) underlines the unity of the three Persons.” (France) f. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: Disciples are made through teaching. This teaching is not with words only, but with the power of the always-present Jesus. He will be present with His people until the job of making disciples is done – until the end of the age. i. “Hitherto Jesus alone has been the teacher, and the verb has not been used by Matthew of his disciples’ ministry. Now they take over his role of teaching.” (France) ii.

The content of the teaching must be all things that I have commanded you. The followers of Jesus are responsible to present the whole counsel of God to those who are made disciples. g. Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age: Jesus sent His disciples with a mission to fulfill, but He did not send them alone. The promise of His constant presence was more than enough to strengthen and guide the disciples as they obeyed Jesus in making disciples of all the nations. i. The promise of His presence is complete. “The English adverb ‘always’ renders an expression found in the New Testament only here – strictly, ‘the whole of every day’. Not just the horizon is in view, but each day as we live it.” (Carson) ii. His presence means privilege, because we work with a Great King. Paul understood this principle well in 1 Corinthians 3:9, where he wrote: For we are God’s fellow workers. Since Jesus promised, “I am with you always,” then we work together with Him in all our service. We certainly work for Jesus, but more than that, we work with Jesus. iii. His presence means protection, because we are never out of His sight or supervision. iv.

His presence means power, because as we fulfill this great command, we work in His name. v. His presence means peace, because it always reminds us that the church belongs to Jesus. It is His church, and His work. How, then, can we worry? vi. “When Christ saith, ‘I will be with you,’ you may add what you will; to protect you, to direct you, to comfort you, to carry on the work of grace in you, and in the end to crown you with immortality and glory. All this and more is included in this precious promise.” (Trapp) Blessed Virgin Mary: After Jesus' Resurrection | Catholic-Pages.com Smiles . After the Resurrection Sacred Scripture does not record Our Lord's Resurrection in detail, merely the fact that St Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty and He then appeared to her. But what of His Mother, who would have mourned His death more than the others? Why do we not see her there with the women? Why does St Mary Magdalene not also run to her to tell her the wonderful news?

The Holy Father has recently taught in one of his Wednesday General Audiences that it is wholly reasonable to believe that Our Lord appeared first to the Blessed Virgin, even though Scripture does not record this intimate moment between the Redeemer and His Beloved Mother. This is the official Vatican news release on the Holy Father's catechesis: VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 1997 (VIS) - The Holy Father focused the catechesis of today's general audience in St. Peter's Square on "Mary and the Resurrection of Christ," and recalled that "the Gospels narrate different apparitions of the Risen One, but not the meeting between Jesus and his Mother." "From this silence," he continued, "one must not deduce that Christ, after his Resurrection, did not appear to Mary." This omission might be attributed to the fact that "what is necessary for our saving knowledge is entrusted to the word of those 'who were chosen by God as witnesses,' that is, the Apostles," he said, citing the Acts of the Apostles.

John Paul II asked how the Blessed Virgin, who was "present in the first community of the disciples, could have been excluded from the number of those who encountered her divine Son risen from among the dead. On the contrary, it is legitimate to think that the Mother may really have been the first person to whom the risen Jesus appeared. Could not the absence of Mary from the group of women who approached the tomb at dawn constitute an indication that she had already met Jesus?" "The unique and special nature of the presence of the Virgin at Calvary," added the Pope, "and her perfect union with the Son in his suffering on the Cross, seem to postulate a very particular participation on her part in the mystery of the Resurrection." The Blessed Virgin, who was present at Calvary and at the Cenacle, "was probably also a privileged witness to the Resurrection of Christ, in this way completing her participation in all the essential moments of the paschal mystery.

Embracing the risen Jesus, Mary is, in addition, a sign and anticipation of humanity, which hopes to reach its fulfillment in the resurrection of the dead." CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Resurrection of Jesus Christ Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > R > Resurrection of Jesus Christ Resurrection of Jesus Christ Help support New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download . Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more  all for only $19.99... Resurrection is the rising again from the dead, the resumption of life . In this article, we shall treat only of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ . (The General Resurrection of the Body will be covered in another article.) The fact of Christ's Resurrection, the theories opposed to this fact, its characteristics, and the reasons for its importance must be considered in distinct paragraphs. The fact of Christ's resurrection The main sources which directly attest the fact of Christ's Resurrection are the Four Gospels and the Epistles of St. Paul . Easter morning is so rich in incident, and so crowded with interested persons , that its complete history presents a rather complicated tableau.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the partial accounts contained in each of the Four Gospels appear at first sight hard to harmonize. But whatever exegetic view as to the visit to the sepulchre by the pious women and the appearance of the angels we may defend, we cannot deny the Evangelists ' agreement as to the fact that the risen Christ appeared to one or more persons . According to St. Matthew, He appeared to the holy women , and again on a mountain in Galilee ; according to St. Mark, He was seen by Mary Magdalen , by the two disciples at Emmaus , and the Eleven before his Ascension into heaven ; according to St. Luke, He walked with the disciples to Emmaus , appeared to Peter and to the assembled disciples in Jerusalem ; according to St. John, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalen , to the ten Apostles on Easter Sunday , to the Eleven a week later, and to the seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias . St.

Paul ( 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 ) enumerates another series of apparitions of Jesus after His Resurrection; he was seen by Cephas , by the Eleven, by more than 500 brethren, many of whom were still alive at the time of the Apostle's writing, by James, by all the Apostles, and lastly by Paul himself. Here is an outline of a possible harmony of the Evangelists ' account concerning the principal events of Easter Sunday : The holy women carrying the spices previously prepared start out for the sepulchre before dawn, and reach it after sunrise; they are anxious about the heavy stone, but know nothing of the official guard of the sepulchre ( Matthew 28:1-3 ; Mark 16:1-3 ; Luke 24:1 ; John 20:1 ). The angel frightened the guards by his brightness, put them to flight, rolled away the stone, and seated himself not upon (ep autou), but above (epano autou) the stone ( Matthew 28:2-4 ).

Mary Magdalen , Mary the Mother of James, and Salome approach the sepulchre, and see the stone rolled back, whereupon Mary Magdalen immediately returns to inform the Apostles ( Mark 16:4 ; Luke 24:2 ; John 20:1-2 ). The other two holy women enter the sepulchre, find an angel seated in the vestibule , who shows them the empty sepulchre, announces the Resurrection, and commissions them to tell the disciples and Peter that they shall see Jesus in Galilee ( Matthew 28:5-7 ; Mark 16:5-7 ). A second group of holy women , consisting of Joanna and her companions, arrive at the sepulchre, where they have probably agreed to meet the first group, enter the empty interior, and are admonished by two angels that Jesus has risen according to His prediction ( Luke 24:10 ).

Not long after, Peter and John, who were notified by Mary Magdalen , arrive at the sepulchre and find the linen cloth in such a position as to exclude the supposition that the body was stolen ; for they lay simply flat on the ground, showing that the sacred body had vanished out of them without touching them. When John notices this he believes ( John 20:3-10 ). After the return of the disciples from Emmaus , Jesus appears to all the Apostles excepting Thomas ( Mark 16:14 ; Luke 24:36-43 ; John 20:19-25 ). The harmony of the other apparitions of Christ after His Resurrection presents no special difficulties.

Briefly, therefore, the fact of Christ's Resurrection is attested by more than 500 eyewitnesses, whose experience, simplicity, and uprightness of life rendered them incapable of inventing such a fable, who lived at a time when any attempt to deceive could have been easily discovered, who had nothing in this life to gain, but everything to lose by their testimony, whose moral courage exhibited in their apostolic life can be explained only by their intimate conviction of the objective truth of their message. Again the fact of Christ's Resurrection is attested by the eloquent silence of the Synagogue which had done everything to prevent deception, which could have easily discovered deception, if there had been any, which opposed only sleeping witnesses to the testimony of the Apostles, which did not punish the alleged carelessness of the official guard, and which could not answer the testimony of the Apostles except by threatening them "that they speak no more in this name to any man" ( Acts 4:17 ).

Finally the thousands and millions, both Jews and Gentiles , who believed the testimony of the Apostles in spite of all the disadvantages following from such a belief , in short the origin of the Church , requires for its explanation the reality of Christ's Resurrection, for the rise of the Church without the Resurrection would have been a greater miracle than the Resurrection itself. Opposing theories By what means can the evidence for Christ's Resurrection by overthrown? Three theories of explanation have been advanced, though the first two have hardly any adherents in our day. The Swoon theory There is the theory of those who assert that Christ did not really die upon the cross, that His supposed death was only a temporary swoon, and that His Resurrection was simply a return to consciousness. This was advocated by Paulus ("Exegetisches Handbuch", 1842, II, p. 929) and in a modified form by Hase ("Gesch. Jesu", n. 112), but it does not agree with the data furnished by the Gospels.

The scourging and the crown of thorns, the carrying of the cross and the crucifixion, the three hours on the cross and the piercing of the Sufferer's side cannot have brought on a mere swoon. His real death is attested by the centurion and the soldiers, by the friends of Jesus and by his most bitter enemies. His stay in a sealed sepulchre for thirty-six hours, in an atmosphere poisoned by the exhalations of a hundred pounds of spices, which would have of itself sufficed to cause death. Moreover, if Jesus had merely returned from a swoon, the feelings of Easter morning would have been those of sympathy rather than those of joy and triumph, the Apostles would have been roused to the duties of a sick chamber rather than to apostolic work, the life of the powerful wonderworker would have ended in ignoble solitude and inglorious obscurity, and His vaunted sinlessness would have changed into His silent approval of a lie as the foundation stone of His Church . No wonder that later critics of the Resurrection, like Strauss, have heaped contempt on the old theory of a swoon.

The Imposition theory The disciples, it is said, stole the body of Jesus from the grave, and then proclaimed to men that their Lord had risen. This theory was anticipated by the Jews who "gave a great sum of money to the soldiers, saying: Say you, His disciples came by night, and stole him away when we were asleep" ( Matthew 28:12 sq. ). The same was urged by Celsus ( Origen , Against Celsus II.56 ) with some difference of detail. But to assume that the Apostles with a burden of this kind upon their consciences could have preached a kingdom of truth and righteousness as the one great effort of their lives, and that for the sake of that kingdom they could have suffered even unto death, is to assume one of those moral impossibilities which may pass for a moment in the heat of controversy, but must be dismissed without delay in the hour of good reflection. The Vision theory This theory as generally understood by its advocates does not allow visions caused by a Divine intervention, but only such as are the product of human agencies. For if a Divine intervention be admitted, we may as well believe, as far as principles are concerned, that God raised Jesus from the dead.

But where in the present instance are the human agencies which might cause these visions? The idea of a resurrection from the grave was familiar to the disciples from their Jewish faith ; they had also vague intimations in the prophecies of the Old Testament ; finally, Jesus Himself had always associated His Resurrection with the predictions of his death. On the other hand, the disciples' state of mind was one of great excitement; they treasured the memory of Christ with a fondness which made it almost impossible for them to believe that He was gone. In short, their whole mental condition was such as needed only the application of a spark to kindle the flame. The spark was applied by Mary Magdalen , and the flame at once spread with the rapidity and force of a conflagration. What she believed that she had seen, others immediately believed that they must see. Their expectations were fulfilled, and the conviction seized the members of the early Church that the Lord had really risen from the dead. Such is the vision theory commonly defended by recent critics of the Resurrection. But however ingeniously it may be devised, it is quite impossible from an historical point of view.

It is incompatible with the state of mind of the Apostles; the theory presupposes faith and expectancy on the part of the Apostles, while in point of fact the disciples' faith and expectancy followed their vision of the risen Christ. It is inconsistent with the nature of Christ's manifestations; they ought to have been connected with heavenly glory, or they should have continued the former intimate relations of Jesus with His disciples, while actually and consistently they presented quite a new phase that could not have been expected. It does not agree with the conditions of the early Christian community; after the first excitement of Easter Sunday , the disciples as a body are noted for their cool deliberation rather than the exalted enthusiasm of a community of visionaries. It is incompatible with the length of time during which the apparitions lasted; visions such as the critics suppose have never been known to last long, while some of Christ's manifestations lasted a considerable period. It is not consistent with the fact that the manifestations were made to numbers at the same instant. It does not agree with the place where most of the manifestations were made: visionary appearances would have been expected in Galilee , while most apparitions of Jesus occurred in Judea .

It is inconsistent with the fact that the visions came to a sudden end on the day of Ascension . Keim admits that enthusiasm, nervousness, and mental excitement on the part of the disciples do not supply a rational explanation of the facts as related in the Gospels. According to him, the visions were directly granted by God and the glorified Christ; they may even include a "corporeal appearance" for those who fear that without this they would lose all. But Keim's theory satisfies neither the Church , since it abandons all the proofs of a bodily Resurrection of Jesus , nor the enemies of the Church , since it admits many of the Church's dogmas ; nor again is it consistent with itself, since it grants God's special intervention in proof of the Church's faith , though it starts with the denial of the bodily Resurrection of Jesus , which is one of the principal objects of that faith . Modernist view The Holy Office describes and condemns in the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh propositions of the Decree "Lamentabili", the views advocated by a fourth class of opponents of the Resurrection.

The former of these propositions reads: "The Resurrection of our Saviour is not properly a fact of the historical order, but a fact of the purely supernatural order neither proved nor provable, which Christian consciousness has little by little inferred from other facts." This statement agrees with, and is further explained by the words of Loisy ("Autour d'un petit livre", p. viii, 120-121, 169; "L'Evangile et l'Église", pp. 74-78; 120-121; 171). According to Loisy, firstly, the entrance into life immortal of one risen from the dead is not subject to observation; it is a supernatural , hyper-historical fact, not capable of historical proof . The proofs alleged for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ are inadequate; the empty sepulchre is only an indirect argument, while the apparitions of the risen Christ are open to suspicion on a priori grounds, being sensible impressions of a supernatural reality; and they are doubtful evidence from a critical point of view, on account of the discrepancies in the various Scriptural narratives and the mixed character of the detail connected with the apparitions.

Secondly, if one prescinds from the faith of the Apostles, the testimony of the New Testament does not furnish a certain argument for the fact of the Resurrection. This faith of the Apostles is concerned not so much with the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as with His immortal life; being based on the apparitions, which are unsatisfactory evidence from an historical point of view, its force is appreciated only by faith itself; being a development of the idea of an immortal Messias , it is an evolution of Christian consciousness, though it is at the same time a corrective of the scandal of the Cross. The Holy Office rejects this view of the Resurrection when it condemns the thirty-seventh proposition in the Decree "Lamentabili": "The faith in the Resurrection of Christ pointed at the beginning no so much to the fact of the Resurrection, as to the immortal life of Christ with God ." Besides the authoritative rejection of the foregoing view, we may submit the following three considerations which render it untenable: First, the contention that the Resurrection of Christ cannot be proved historically is not in accord with science .

Science does not know enough about the limitations and the properties of a body raised from the dead to immortal life to warrant the assertion that such a body cannot be perceived by the senses; again in the case of Christ , the empty sepulchre with all its concrete circumstances cannot be explained except by a miraculous Divine intervention as supernatural in its character as the Resurrection of Jesus . Secondly, history does not allow us to regard the belief in the Resurrection as the result of a gradual evolution in Christian consciousness. The apparitions were not a mere projection of the disciples' Messianic hope and expectation; their Messianic hope and expectations had to be revived by the apparitions.

Again, the Apostles did not begin with preaching the immortal life of Christ with God , but they preached Christ's Resurrection from the very beginning, they insisted on it as a fundamental fact and they described even some of the details connected with this fact: Acts 2:24-31 , 3:15-26 , 4:10 , 5:30 , 10:39-40 , 13:30-37 , 17:31-32 ; Romans 1:4 , 4:25 , 6:4-9 , 8:11-34 , 10:7 , 14:9 ; 1 Corinthians 15:4, 13 sqq. ; etc.

Thirdly, the denial of the historical certainty of Christ's Resurrection involves several historical blunders: it questions the objective reality of the apparitions without any historical grounds for such a doubt ; it denies the fact of the empty sepulchre in spite of solid historical evidence to the contrary; it questions even the fact of Christ's burial in Joseph's sepulchre , though this fact is based on the clear and simply unimpeachable testimony of history. Character of Christ's resurrection The Resurrection of Christ has much in common with the general resurrection ; even the transformation of His body and of His bodily life is of the same kind as that which awaits the blessed in their resurrection . But the following peculiarities must be noted: Christ's Resurrection is necessarily a glorious one; it implies not merely the reunion of body and soul , but also the glorification of the body. Christ's body was to know no corruption, but rose again soon after death, when sufficient time had elapsed to leave no doubt as to the reality of His death. Christ was the first to rise unto life immortal ; those raised before Him died again ( Colossians 1:18 ; 1 Corinthians 15:20 ).

As the Divine power which raised Christ from the grave was His own power, He rose from the dead by His own power ( John 2:19 ; 10:17-18 ). Since the Resurrection had been promised as the main proof of Christ's Divine mission, it has a greater dogmatic importance than any other fact. "If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain" ( 1 Corinthians 15:14 ). Importance of the resurrection Besides being the fundamental argument for our Christian belief , the Resurrection is important for the following reasons: It shows the justice of God who exalted Christ to a life of glory, as Christ had humbled Himself unto death ( Philippians 2:8-9 ). The Resurrection completed the mystery of our salvation and redemption ; by His death Christ freed us from sin , and by His Resurrection He restored to us the most important privileges lost by sin ( Romans 4:25 ).

Question: Who was the first to meet with the risen Jesus?
Answer: Mary Magdalene